


everything has changed

by enbymickey



Series: season 11 one shots. [3]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: 11x03, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Season/Series 11, fill in, just mickey being there for his family :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:22:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28391616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbymickey/pseuds/enbymickey
Summary: He’s found comfort in the door slams in the mornings because at least one of them is late for something and it’s somehow another ones fault that their shit is missing. He’s found comfort in the kitchen being a mess, so many fuckin’ limbs in one place but never colliding because they just all move together so easily. It used to freak him out but he’s figured out how to move with them. He’s figured out how to have two conversations at once. He’s figured it out because he’s a Gallagher now.But this, this silence isn’t something he’s used to and he can tell from the looks on everyone else’s that it’s not something that’s happened too many times before.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Series: season 11 one shots. [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047916
Comments: 7
Kudos: 182





	everything has changed

**Author's Note:**

> sorry this took way longer than intended. i’m not sure if i’m gonna do a fill in fic for hos but i might! i do have a christmas fic i wanna write even though it’ll be late. i hope everyone is staying safe and everything! thank you to shelby for reading this over and thank you to my eight friends. ❤️

Mickey has always known how to shut the fuck up. At five years old he knew. He knew that being quiet and not making any type of noise meant that the screaming from Terry might stop sooner. He knew that it meant that if he didn’t cry while he was throwing things then he wouldn’t get something thrown in his direction. Mickey’s always known how to shut up so when the Gallagher kitchen is silent, just forks against plates Mickey falls right back into that. 

He doesn’t like it, hates it actually. The Gallaghers have never been known for being quiet. There used to be some saying around town that if you couldn’t hear a Gallagher from miles away that usually meant one of them was dead. Mickey hated it at first, so used to loud and chaos being a bad thing. It always meant that he was going to get a fist to his face and glass on the floor for weeks. 

But in this house it just meant they fucking love each other. They scream and doors get slammed. Things get said that aren’t too pretty but then it’s okay again, there’s some kind of chaos that removes their attention from that situation and they just go about their day. It’s weird but Mickey has found comfort in it. 

He’s found comfort in the door slams in the mornings because at least one of them is late for something and it’s somehow another ones fault that their shit is missing. He’s found comfort in the kitchen being a mess, so many fuckin’ limbs in one place but never colliding because they just all move together so easily. It used to freak him out but he’s figured out how to move with them. He’s figured out how to have two conversations at once. He’s figured it out because he’s a Gallagher now. 

But this, this silence isn’t something he’s used to and he can tell from the looks on everyone else’s faces that it’s not something that’s happened too many times before. 

Ian sighs and it drags Mickey out from his thoughts, he blinks over at him and he can tell from the look on his face he wants to say something to Lip about what he said to Debbie but he’s not. He’s biting his tongue and from what he can see, maybe literally. Ian isn’t too good with his siblings being upset especially not when another one of them has caused it, Mickey has noticed. 

“Liam, shower.” Ian says quietly and it’s the first words spoken since the whole mess. 

Liam doesn’t have to be told twice cause he’s up and he’s out of there then it’s Carl dropping his plate into the sink and out the back door without a word. It’s just the two of them, Lip and Tami now.

“You didn’t have to be such a dick to her.” Mickey blinks, not really expecting Ian to actually vocalize what he could tell his husband was feeling. But then again it’s Ian fucking Gallagher so of course he is. 

Lip doesn’t look up from his plate, obviously already telling himself way worse shit than Ian could ever throw at him. Mickey kinda feels sorry for the guy, he seems exhausted and he just snapped. Shit was said, it’s no big deal but considering the two of them are parents and the mom they had it must’ve cut pretty fucking deep and Lip knows that. 

“You two ever planning on handling shit a better way?” Lip speaks up, looking directly at Mickey and yeah okay whatever he’ll take the heat if that helps him sleep at night. 

“Yeah.” There’s a certain way that Ian says Ian says his words and it's enough for Mickey to pick his head up to look at him and Ian’s already looking at him when he does. It’s regret, it’s embarrassment. It’s exhaustion. 

There’s a silent conversation between them.

I’m sorry I’m such a dick. 

I’m sorry you’re such a dick too.

A nod from Mickey, leaning over to rub his thumb against Ian’s arm. They’re gonna be okay, of course they’re gonna be okay. They just gotta find a way to communicate better, to get their aggression and insecurities out without attacking each other. Mickey wants to be better, wants to change it and he can tell from just the look on Ian’s face that he does too.

He’s so focused on Ian he doesn’t even notice that Tami has cleared off the table and now standing with Fred on her hip. 

“How much do you think we could get if we sold him?” It’s obviously a joke but Mickey isn’t sure what the fuck he missed and from the looks of it, Ian isn’t exactly in the know either. 

“You can’t sell my nephew.” Ian stands, squeezing Mickey’s shoulder, to take Freddie from Tami’s arms. Tickling his sides and Freddie instantly laughs and Ian smiles for the first time all day. Kinda sucks balls that some little rugrat can make his husband smile more than he can these days but at least he’s smiling. At least he gets to see it. 

“Brad’s kid has some heart thing and needs surgery. He’s thinkin’ about selling the shop if he can’t get the money together.” 

“We can sell Mickey.” It’s Ian’s suggestion and Mickey plans on being offended, thought they were doing okay and now he’s throwing another dig at him but Ian’s got that beautiful smile on when he says it, this time actually looking at him and it’s not a dig at all, just a lame joke. And now that smile is for him and thank gay fuckin’ jesus cause Mickey was actually thinking about committing homicide if he didn’t get it soon.

Mickey thinks about throwing the now melted peas directly at his big head but because he’s got their nephew in his arms he settles for just giving him his middle finger. if something were to happen to that kid because of him he would never forgive himself and he knows Tami and Lip wouldn’t either. 

“Don’t think he’d sell for much.” It’s obvious Lip’s head is somewhere else, he can tell that he wishes that the bottle in front of him wasn’t water but rather something alcoholic. Mickey wasn’t really around for all that mess, thank god, but Ian told him some of it in the darkness of their cell when they were getting to know each other again. 

“We can help out.”

Mickey’s honestly shocked that he said it and by the looks he’s getting from everyone in the room he can tell everyone else is too. Even Fred looks a little shocked but maybe that’s just cause Ian looks like he’s about to drop him. 

But why not? Why can’t they help them out? This is his family. This is what you fucking do for family. When shit gets tough you give them a fucking hand, you do whatever the fuck you can to make it work. 

“Mick.” Ian looks stressed again like he does every time he looks at a bill or thinks about money which is just all the time now. He hates that look. 

“No, I fucking know. Bills. A legal job.” He waves him off, he’s fucking sick of this whole thing. He’s sick of playing by the rules when the rules are screwing them all over. Some baby isn’t gonna have surgery to help just because they can’t come up with the money? That’s the kind of rules and government he’s supposed to follow? Fuck that. 

“Kev and V offered me a spot for security. I do a few things for them and we could have the money a week tops dependin’ on how much I sell.” 

Ian looks like he’s about to argue again. Mickey instantly shuts it down.

“Then we’ll catch up on bills and shit man. I’ll pay back the wedding money. Don’t you think we should help out family first though?” 

Ian blinks a few times then he’s got that soft puppy dog look on his face that Mickey has missed so much. He feels like he can breathe again because for the first time in weeks Ian is actually looking at him with something other than intense anger. 

All the tension and all the stress from the weeks before just instantly fades. 

It’s nice, it’s really fucking nice.

Lip and Tami share a look but Mickey isn’t really paying much attention because his husband is staring at him and his eyes have changed from something completely innocent to not so innocent. 

“You really gonna do that for us?” Lip asks, a little smirk like he knows what he’s interrupting. The fucking prick. 

“Yeah, told you I would. Just count it as us payin’ you back for the wedding if you need to.” Really he’s just doing it because they’re family and it’s what family does but if he’s too proud to take it then fuck it, a thank you for being the main reason they’re married today. 

Lip goes to say something and Mickey’s sure that Tami does too but before they can say anything Ian is dumping their nephew in Lip’s and grabbing Mickey’s hand. 

“Night!” Ian announces as he’s climbing the stairs two at a time with his large hand still wrapped around Mickey’s wrist and the house is filled with their laughter. Lip and Tami laughing too, telling them to not be too loud this time. 

Mickey laughs as Ian laughs against his neck, both of them going to turn their stereo at the same time. 

The Gallaghers do always find a way to laugh again and find a way to just be again after something heavy and okay Mickeys never been happier to be a Gallagher.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed! it wasn’t my favorite and i was actually gonna scrap it cause i don’t actually think this is gonna happen in the show at all i just started writing and this is where i ended up. i wanted to keep these as realistic as possible and to the show as possible but i really think this is something mickey would do so i wanted to write it. 
> 
> twitter: ianlovebot  
> tumble: sandymilkovich


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